Spectacular! With 5” of new snow there is full coverage and no ice. The Eloise Butler and Quaking Bog trails had been rolled and the groomers were out for a second round. No classic tracks set yet but numerous classic skiers. Lots of loose snow making it kind of slow but just gorgeous skiing on wooded trails with nice temps, sunshine and blue sky.

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(Betsy Hoium)

Today was supposed to be the Noquemanon ski race up in Marquette, but it was converted to a virtual 42K so I figured the famous City of Lakes Loppet 42K race course would be the perfect virtual race venue. Sure enough, the fresh grooming of the South Wirth trails were top-notch for skiing on this sunny Friday! No ice whatsoever; just enough corduroy to make for some really fast skating around the woods, and very clean snow throughout. Good skis are safe for everything in the South Wirth area. Even the 394 bridge trail to Brownie Lake was the cleanest I have seen all season. Not enough snow depth for classic tracks, but skating is absolutely perfect right now. The Loppet grooming crew sure knows how to work magic on the South Wirth trails - thanks for the hard work!

(Bill Oyler)

Trails are in great shape for skating. 100% coverage and the skate deck is pretty flat. No icy spots and it was easy to edge everywhere. Some tree debris from the wind. Snow was surprisingly slow this morning. Looks like it got covered in sharp frost crystals overnight. As the warm wind did its work things sped up but overall conditions were still slower than average.

(Zachary Handler)

Skied all trails north of 394 and south of Wirth lake. Fast and firm but not scary on the downhills. Any winter is a good one if you can make it out on these natural snow trails.

(Mark Bushinski)

A single pass Tuesday night grooming for skate only, all trails from Glenwood to south end of Brownie lake. Should ski pretty well, firm and fast. The Pavilion Loop will still have some icy sections that resisted resurfacing. There is very little classic track left on these trails.

(David Hutcheson)

Lovely skate ski through the woods on Wedding Hill, Eloise Butler, and Quaking Bog trails this afternoon. Base was a little icy, but the new layer of snow helped a lot. Would only recommend skate skiing for now, as classic tracks were minimal in some areas and non-existent in others.

(Thomas Blackstock)

Unbelievably great grooming! I skate skied all of the South Wirth trails (Wirth Lake, Eloise Butler, Quaking Bog, 394 Trails, and Brownie Lake) this morning and could not believe how well the grooming transformed the formerly icy conditions. The snow is clean, the trail was expertly roughed up just enough to eliminate icy patches, and downhills were very manageable. Good skis can be used everywhere without risk of damage. Wirth Lake has some fresh new trails groomed alongside the old icy trails. Quaking Bog is in excellent shape throughout. The Anwatin Loop is likewise in great shape. Even the Wedding Hill up and down trails are in remarkably good shape. The only loop that is still a bit icy is the Pavilion Loop, so that one is worthy of skipping, especially if you do not enjoy the sharp right turn near the end that involves a large tree on the left. There is not enough snow depth for classic tracks throughout most of South Wirth, so skating is the best bet right now.

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(Bill Oyler)

Quaking Bog, Eloise Butler, and Brownie Lake groomed at 8pm. There are still some classic tracks in the bog and Brownie but very little track remains in butler. Unable to set more given the icy snow. Was able to wipe most of the frozen foot prints. Surface currently is smooth but loose granular corduroy. Hopefully will set up firm overnight. Conditions will likely remain extremely fast so avoid these trails for now if you are not confident on downhills.

(Zachary Handler)

Tornado alley, JD rivers, Wirth lake slightly icy. Bog and Butler are semi-frozen corn snow. Very fast. Able to edge everywhere, but not beginner conditions because the surface is so fast and is uneven in places. Full coverage with zero exposed ground. Some tree litter. I used my race skis and had no concerns about damaging them. There are lots of walkers on the trail. Keep an eye out for them and make your presence known long before you reach them to decrease chance of collision.

(Zachary Handler)

Skied Wirth Lake, JD Rivers, Skyline, Tornado. Generally decent conditions, with the track getting a bit thin in places. The tracks are getting washed out on most corners and a couple of spots on JD that get sun were down to bare dirt in the tracks. Similar on Tornado Alley. Skate deck looked good. One spot each on the Lake trail and JD getting down to bare spots where there is a curve at the bottom of a hill.

(Dan Hutjens)